The future of flying is closer than ever. Sustainable fuel is the key

The future of flying is closer than ever. Sustainable fuel is the key

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a drastic reduction in air travel, leaving many airlines facing an uncertain future. It might be tempting to assume that once air travel resumes, it would be business as usual as the airline industry focuses on a return to profitability over commitments to achieve net-zero emissions . But as Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer at Airbus, recently stated, pursuing one at the expense of the other "is a false choice."

At pre-pandemic levels, aviation was responsible for 2-3% of overall global emissions, and current forecasts from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) anticipate significant growth in air travel throughout the 2020s. In addition, as the world looks to build back better, a growing proportion of airline passengers will be millennials who are likely to book with sustainable brands with which their values align.

To drive a sustainable, long-term recovery in the aviation industry, facilitating the transition to net-zero flying by the middle of this century remains a priority across aviation's value chain. Achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 will not only help create an environmentally sustainable future but also ensure a financially resilient and competitive aviation industry as a whole.